Scarred For Life
by EmmaLennyEddie
Summary: Children should never be left alone, especially with the quality of being infamous. Rated T


Scarred for life

Fanboy was lost, Alone, and surrounded by darkness. He had no idea where he was, it was pitch black. The last thing he remembered was sitting in the park, on the swing set. It had been far boring at school, and the Frosty Mart had closed earlier that day.

It hadn't been dark yet, but it was still far past an acceptable time for a young child to go out alone, no matter how intelligent and mature that child may be. He should have known better. But he hadn't known better.

Fanboy assumed he had been kidnapped, normally he'd think by some crazy weirdo would let him go after a short while. He had a feeling, however, that that was not the case. The fact that he was tied up and had duct tape over his mouth indicated that much.

Fanboy started to whimper. Why couldn't he go home? What was this place? The ropes dug into his arms as he struggled, leaving untreated rope burns behind on his soft flesh. A few tears ran down his face.

The bespectacled super fan scanned the dark, damp room. Or what he could see of it, anyway. He could very faintly make out outlines of objects, but he couldn't quite tell what they were.

Fanboy heard footsteps approaching. They were loud, but they didn't sound angry. He was thankful for that much. The last thing he needed was an angry kidnapper. A stranger opened the door and light flooded into the small room, making his prisoner squint. The man flipped the light switch and looked at the small child, his eyes full of an emotion Fanboy couldn't quite pinpoint.

Fanboy gasped into the duct tape as he recognized the man in the doorway. It was Boog! Boog, of all people to kidnap Fanboy, why him?

"Your friends are lucky, Dweeb," Boog said smugly. Fanboy raised an eyebrow at his captor, trying not to show his fear. "They aren't as perfect as you are," Boog said, still not making much sense to the green and purple clad boy.

The kidnapper smiled sadistically as he drew uncomfortably close. "The brace face was too cocky. The li'l one is too fat," He laughed as Fanboy worked up the courage to send a glare his way.

Boog moved closer to Fanboy until his face was inches away from Fanboy's. Boog's hands snaked their way to Fanboy's half covered face and slipped his fingers under the mask and started to slowly take it off.

"But you..." Boog whispered as he pushed the child's purple mask further off his face. Fanboy's eyes widened and he yanked his head away before Boog could proceed to take his mask off. "You're just right."

Fanboy's eyes grew wide as his mind registered what a threat Boog was. He tried to inch away from the kidnapper, but that only caused the stool he sitting on to fall over. He landed with a muffled 'Ooof!' His head started to ache from the hurting. Fanboy groaned in pain.

Boog laughed at him again.

Fanboy shuddered. He knew whatever this guy was planning was going to be horrible, and he had to be ready.

Fanboy wasn't prepared, however, for what happened next. Boog tore the tape away from his mouth, making the child yelp in pain.

Boog laughed again. "I like that noise," He smirked, "Well go on, say something." Fanboy stayed silent, too scared to talk. "Cat got yo' tongue?" Boog picked up the young boy and set him down on the small bed within the room. "Come on, I love that lil' voice a' yours."

The bespectacled boy's mouth twisted into a scowl. "You're a brave one, aren't ya?" Boog said, "I like that. It makes ya even cuter." He pinched Fanboy's cheek. The green and purple-clad super fan's eyes grew wider as he tried to scoot away from his captor.

"I've been watching you, ya know," Boog breathed in Fanboy's face, his breath reeking of alcohol. "I've been watchin' ya fo' a long time; Ever since ya came to the Frosty Mart fo' the first time." The child shivered, his eyes filling with fear. "Now talk!" Boog slapped Fanboy across the face.

It hurt, a lot. The small boy whimpered. "Pl-please..." he stuttered, struggling to prevent his voice from cracking.

Boog's smile was almost sincere as he looked down at his victim. "That's much better; you're even cuter when you talk." Fanboy looked up at him, fear showing through in his features.

"Ya know, I'm not usually into crazy kids, but you're alright. I'm probably more of an animal than you are." His New York accented voice sent chills down Fanboy's spine, as Boog got impossibly close to his face.

Then he kissed him, right on the lips. Fanboy's mind was racing as he realized what the emotion in his kidnapper's eyes had been: lust. The super fan frantically tried pushing away from his captor, the tears he had managed to hold up until this point pouring down his now bruised face.

For once in his life, Fanboy's innocence was shattered. He had never experienced something that was as horrible as this.

Fanboy was finally able to push away just as Boog tried slipping his tongue into the boy's mouth. As Fanboy pushed away, he couldn't stop his fall, and landed back on the bed.

"Hmm, not a smart move ya made there, dweeb." Boog whispered, "Layin' there on the bed just makes it easier fo' me."

"NO!" Fanboy yelled, in a loud voice.

Fanboy had never felt so helpless in his life. He felt absolutely broken. Why did this have to happen to him?

He wasn't exactly the smart one, but he should have known not to go out so late by himself. He should have figured out how to get out of this situation by now. But he hadn't, and now he was being held captive in the home of some psychotic pedophile.

Fanboy told himself not to panic. He had to escape. He was alone now and no longer tied up. If he didn't get out now he probably wouldn't have another chance. Boog would be back, and this time, the bespectacled super fan knew, he would be physically harmed, not just emotionally and mentally scarred.

Fanboy was not an educated child, and although he didn't know everything about this type of situation, he knew more than the average kid his age.

Parents tried to pretend it wasn't true, but there were sick, twisted people out there. But since he didn't have parents…

Being an infamous child made him and Chum Chum more likely to be chosen as victims.

There was obviously no way out of this at the moment, so he'd have to keep searching for a way when he got the chance.

The green and purple clad boy's thoughts were interrupted by the door swinging open and the all too familiar face of his captor staring back at him, a devious grin plastered onto its features.

"Ready for round two?" Boog winked, "This time I'll hurt ya real good."

Fanboy backed away slowly. Boog's smile grew as he watched him. He reached down and picked up the boy, who struggled against him.

"No need fo' all that, now," Boog whispered, "I'm-a take care of ya. I was jus' joking, I'd never hurt my dear lil' Lance."

The fact that the kidnapper had addressed him by name sent chills down the small boy's spine. Then the creep kissed him again. He wasn't going to let this guy win. After all, perhaps some of his bravery and impulsiveness rubbed off on him.

Fanboy took a huge risk, when the man tried slipping his tongue into his mouth this time, he bit it hard.

"OW! You lil' son of a-!" Boog growled.

Fanboy glared defiantly at his captor. He wasn't going down without a fight. He knew making the kidnapper angry wasn't the best idea, but it would buy him more time.

Fanboy knew his plan was a failure, however, when the man pulled out a baseball bat. Before he knew it, everything went black.

* * *

Fanboy awoke once more. He didn't remember getting knocked out, only seeing the bat. The throbbing in his head was the only indication of what had actually occurred.

The bespectacled super fan looked around, his injury caused his vision to blur slightly, but he could easily tell he was no longer in the same room as he was before.

He noticed he was tied up again, but this time his hands weren't bound to each other, but rather to the headboard of a bed, which he was now laying on.

Fanboy tugged the ropes a little. Fully aware it was a futile attempt. If he tried too hard he'd just get another rope burn.

"Mornin', sleepin' beauty." The small child jumped at the voice, causing its owner to chuckle evilly. "Ya haven't been very nice ta me, now have ya?"

Fanboy looked up at his kidnapper with unfocused eyes, trying to manage a glare but failing horribly.

"Need ta exercise that lil' voice a' yours, now."

"I have nothing to say," The boy said calmly. The words came out much stronger than he thought they would, and he'd managed to keep his voice steady.

"Really now? I'm thinkin' ya have lots ya wanna say, your just pretendin'."

Fanboy shook his head defiantly, although he regretted the action. It made his headache much worse. The boy winced at the pain, clenching his teeth.

Boog chuckled. "Ya think that hurts? Wait till' I'm done with ya tonight." He winked.

The super-fan's green eyes widened in fear. Absolute terror was evident on his face. He knew what this pervert was planning, and now he was absolutely sure there was no way to escape.

Hours had passed since Fanboy last saw his captor. He was dreading what he knew was to come with every fiber of his being.

Fanboy started tugging at the ropes that bound him to the bed absentmindedly. The child looked around the room another time, trying to see if he missed anything that could help him escape this dreadful place. He noticed a small hole in the wall, with light shining through. Maybe there was hope.

Just as the boy was contemplating an escape plan, he heard a key in the lock on the door. Boog walked through, an evil glint in his eyes.

"Are ya ready to be broken, dweeb?" He said, smirking.

Fanboy couldn't help the tears that welled up in his eyes. He tried to be strong, but no matter how strong-willed, a child is still a child.

The man stroked Fanboy's cheek in an eerily affectionate manner, making the boy's tears flow even more.

"Children are so cute when they cry," Boog said, his faked accent completely disappearing for a moment. His face played in the shadows, and, if only for a moment, he resembled Satan himself.

Fanboy bit his lip, trying to hold back his tears even though he knew in his heart and mind that it was useless. All of the sudden he felt his mask and cape being torn off of him by his captors strong hands. He let out a yelp of surprise.

"I'da taken it off the normal way, but that'd mean I'd hafta untie ya."

Fanboy could only watch with fear as Boog tore off one of his sleeves, and finally his shirt.

Fanboy now felt even more vulnerable than before. Here he was, in front of this disgusting pedophile that was ripping his clothes off him. He tried scooting as far away as he could, which, of course, wasn't very far at all.

The man laughed at him, not merely a laugh of amusement, although that was part of it. His laugh was terrifyingly sadistic. The boy finally looked directly into the eyes of his captor for the very first time, and he saw how dead they were.

"I'm going to make you feel very nice, my dear little Lance." Boog said with a smirk, his eyes narrowing and his accent disappearing once more.

Fanboy panicked as Boog came closer and he kicked the man as hard as he could in the stomach. Boog growled as he picked up the bat. Fanboy's eyes widened at the sight of it.

Everything afterward was lost in a blur, the pain the small child was forced to endure was unbearable, tears from both pain and terror spilled down his cheeks.

* * *

The next morning Fanboy awoke to the sound of an old pickup truck having trouble starting up. It was just outside, and he heard the familiar voice of Boog cursing at it.

Eventually the truck started and the man drove off. Fanboy knew he had to be fast, his captor would soon return. He had to be quick; whatever he was going to do couldn't be long.

Fortunately for Fanboy, Boog was stupid enough to untie him again. It was illogical to believe he could escape; he had no clue where he was. However, it was likely that there was a telephone somewhere in this house.

If he found it, he'd find help. But first he had to get out of this prison cell of a room.

Fanboy slowly slid to the edge of the bed and slipped off, wincing at the sudden pain that shot through his body when his feet hit the floor. He grabbed his cape and mask that were left by the bed and quickly put them on.

The super fan slowly made his way over to where he had seen the hole the day before. There was no longer light shining through it, but its presence was still quite apparent.

He examined the wall and concluded that it was made of drywall, a substance that could be easily broken through if enough force was applied. There was one problem, however. If he made a giant hole in the wall the kidnapper would definitely notice it.

Fanboy noticed a dresser a few inches from where the hole was. Perfect. If he could manage to slide it over the hole would hopefully go unnoticed from this side. He could only pray there was something to cover up the other side.

The boy quickly searched the room for something to bust through the wall with. He found a good sized hammer and quickly got to work.

Eventually he made a big enough hole to squeeze his body through, and since he was very slender, the hole didn't have to be very large. It came out into a bathroom, and, much to Fanboy's dismay, there was nothing in the room to cover the hole with.

He would have to worry about that later; right now he needed to find a phone. He rushed out of the bathroom and stopped dead in his tracks when he entered the room outside of it.

There were photos of him and Chum Chum, mostly him, covering every wall of the room. There were quite a few. The evil guy _had _been stalking him.

However, Fanboy couldn't dwell on it right now, he was in a hurry. So he quickly scurried into the main part of the house in search of a phone.

When Fanboy finally found one, he was quick to dial the number that had been ground into his head when he was very small; 911.

After the cops had tracked the phone and figured out his location, Fanboy made sure to get right back to the room he had been in so Boog wouldn't suspect anything.

However, Fanboy had no idea how to go about hiding the hole in the bathroom wall. There was nothing in the small room that could cover it without causing suspicion, so he locked the door. The bespectacled child hoped that his captor wouldn't try to enter the bathroom before the police arrived.

It wasn't the greatest solution, especially considering he wasn't smart enough to think of a much better one, but it would have to work.

Moving the dresser to cover the hole in the other room was going to be the hard part. It was much too heavy for the small super fan to move on his own. He got very little physical exercise, so he wasn't very strong, and this object was over twice as tall as he was.

Luckily, it was pretty close to the corner of the room. He was sure he could move it far enough to cover the hole if he leaned against the dresser and pushed off the wall with his feet.

Once the hole was successfully hidden, all that was left to do was waiting. It had been only minutes since Fanboy had gotten back into the little room that he was being kept in, but the minutes felt like hours. He knew the police were trying their best to get there as soon as possible, but it still felt like they were taking their sweet time.

When he heard the groan of his captor's pickup truck, he couldn't help the fear that seeped back into his veins. He hoped that the man wouldn't figure out what he had done before the police got there.

In no time at all, Boog was back in the room with Fanboy, eating a whole plate of greasy hot-dogs. He smirked as he chewed. "Hungry? Don' worry, I won't let ya starve ta death or nothin'. Ma dog died recently, you can have her food." Fanboy just stared at him with a look of disgust on his face.

After only a few more minutes, to his relief, he heard sirens outside. Boog's eyes grew wide and he grabbed and shook Fanboy. "What did you do?" He growled angrily. Fanboy said nothing. He just stared straight into the man's eyes with pure hatred.

Boog threw him to the ground and, once again, everything went black.

* * *

Chum Chum rushed straight out the door when the call came. He asked Kyle, Yo, and Oz to come too, and they quickly agreed. Chum Chum begged Lenny to come too and they all rushed to the hospital.

After only a few minutes they arrived at the hospital that Fanboy had been taken to. They couldn't see him right away, however, because the doctors were looking him over to see the extent of his injuries.

In the waiting room a doctor called Oz over to speak to him and bring him to see Fanboy, leaving Chum Chum, Yo, Lenny and Kyle in the waiting room to do just what the room was made for, wait.

"He suffered a blow to the head, nothing too damaging, but I'd still monitor it. Other than that he's not seriously injured, just a few bruises." The doctor said as they walked down the hall.

"And of course the police told you what else happened," Oz nodded. "We're still running tests but he appears alright in that regard."

"Thank God," Oz sighed.

"Mr. Harmonian, he hasn't said a single word since we found him. He appears to be in shock, and I believe there is damage to his mental health. I'd recommend a psychiatrist. It's difficult enough for an adult to go through this type of situation, but even worse for a child."

Back in the waiting room Chum Chum tapped his fingers on the arm of his chair impatiently. He wanted to see his best friend so badly. Hearing he was safe and out of that pervert's clutches was one thing, but seeing him was something entirely different.

Yo, who was attempting to hold back his tears, was failing miserably at doing so. Kyle both patted her back soothingly. "It'll be alright," He comforted.

"Yeah, at least he's not dead," Lenny said in a comforting voice, not looking up from the book he was pretending to read. Chum Chum's eyes grew wide and Kyle shot Lenny a glare. "I was just trying to help," Lenny mumbled, looking hurt.

Even Kyle appeared to be attempting to hold back the tears that were finally threatening to fall from his eyes. He didn't want to cry in front of the others, so the bespectacled boy excused himself and went down the hall to a water fountain. After drinking some of the liquid to calm his nerves, he sighed and leaned back against the wall.

Kyle's thoughts were all on Fanboy, his friend whom cared for Kyle. Kyle was so scared for him, scared that this horrible event would forever change him. He hoped that, with time to heal, he would be the same old goofy super hero wannabe that he knew.

When Oz walked into the room he was glad to see Fanboy's nose buried in a comic book one of the hospital staff had given him. When the door opened and Fanboy saw Oz he wasted no time running to his sort-of-guardian's open arms.

Without uttering a single word, the boy buried his head in Oz's shoulder and cried. In all honesty, Fanboy hated crying. It made him feel insecure. At the moment though, he didn't care how helpless he looked. He was just glad he was finally safe.

Kyle was still down the hall when Oz returned to the waiting room, with Fanboy right beside him.

The children's hearts broke upon seeing him. He looked so…broken. His mask had large rips in them, as did his cape, his whole left arm sleeve was missing, and he had bruises on his arms and face.

After taking in his appearance, the two kids rushed over to hug him. Lenny just waved. Fanboy's eyes scanned the room while he hugged them back. After the group broke apart, he said the first words anyone had heard him speak all day.

"Where's Kyle?"

The others hadn't realized the wizard was even gone. After a few moments Lenny piped up.

"I think he went to the bathroom," he said. "I'll go find him," Yo volunteered. With that she strutted off in the direction Kyle had gone in before.

Fanboy watched him for a moment before turning his tired emerald eyes back to his friends. Oz was talking to some police officers.

"I'm so sorry for you, Fanboy!" Chum Chum said, looking up at his friend.

Fanboy looked at the slightly shorter child, clearly confused. It almost sounded as if the orange-clad boy were going to cry.

"Really?" He said dully.

"I wish you would have stayed home! I wished I would have gone with you!''

Fanboy sighed. Leave it to Chum Chum to point out the obvious. The usually overly confident and selfless child seemed to have a problem with doing that.

"It's not your fault, Chum Chum. Now could you please let go? I'm kind of sore and squeezing the life out of me isn't helping." He knew he was being sort of cold, but he couldn't help it.

"Sorry…" Chum Chum muttered as he pulled away.

"Kyle?" Yo called quietly, since they were still in the hospital.

She found Kyle on the floor, sobbing his eyes out.

"Kyle!" She ran over to him and shook him gently.

The red head looked up at Yo with tears in his eyes.

"I'm s-so worried..." the Kyle said."What if…what if he's never the same again?" He looked up at Yo. Tears were rolling down her cheeks. Yo started crying too.

"He'll be okay, Kyle," the girl comforted. She wasn't sure what else to say. This was an odd situation, to say the least, and she had no idea how to go about comforting her distraught friend.

Kyle sighed, "I didn't cry the whole time he was missing and now I'm sobbing in the hallway like an idiot." He looked down as he rubbed his eyes.

"It's okay to cry, you know," Yo stated, "I cry all the time."

"This is a bit more serious than most of the reasons you cry, Yo."

The blue eyed girl almost argued, but she knew that what Kyle had said was true. "Good point. But still," She suddenly perked up. "Oh! Fanboy wanted me to come get you."

"H-he's in there now?" Then Kyle asked, "How did he look?" His voice was laced with concern.

"He's…" Yo paused for a moment and made a face that looked as though she was thinking hard. "He had…bruises all over him…and his eyes were bloodshot."

"Oh my God..."

"The first thing he asked was where you were," Yo pulled Kyle to his feet. "We should probably get back."

"Yeah," Kyle smiled at her, "Thank you." The two headed back to the waiting room.

Fanboy was now seated, Chum Chum on sitting next to him. His eyes were glassy and unfocused and every stranger that walked by couldn't help but stare.

He hated it. It was one thing to be stared at out of pity, as if you were a spectacle in the circus.

The boy closed his eyes and kept them shut. All this was giving him a headache. The little super fan sighed and sunk further down into his seat.

Oz was filling out paperwork, so they would be there a while. He figured now would be as good a time as any to try and get some rest. Fanboy's eyes had only been closed for a few minutes before he felt as though he were being watched.

He opened his green orbs to find two pairs of eyes watching him intently.

"Stop staring at me!" Fanboy snapped at his Chum Chum and Lenny, gritting his teeth.

Chum Chum looked hurt and quickly averted his eyes, but Lenny kept his eyes on Fanboy.

"Lenny, _stop_." Fanboy growled. "I'm not some freak show for you to gawk at!"

Lenny brought the book up to his eyes so no one could see his face. "_Well, sorry!_" He mumbled.

"Lenny, one apology from you in a day is enough. I wouldn't want your ego to implode."

Just as he was saying that the two missing members of their gang appeared in the waiting room door.

"Hi Kyle," Fanboy said as soon as he saw his red-haired companion.

Kyle's feet were glued to the floor when he saw Fanboy. He weakly waved.

"Fanboy!" said Yo, gasped upon taking in his appearance. He almost seemed to be getting worse. She slowly walked over to her counterpart, almost as if she secretly feared him.

Fanboy got up out of his chair and quickly went over to her. This time he was the one to initiate the hug.

The girl hugged him back as gently as possible.

"Yo, you can hug me back, you know. I'm not going to break," The boy whispered.

She hugged him harder. When they pulled apart Yo looked into his dull green eyes, searching for any sign that her friend was still in there somewhere.

"How are you feeling?" She whispered, still searching his eyes.

"Oh I feel _wonderful_, Yo," He said a little too loudly, causing all the eyes in the room to turn on him.

"O-Oh…" Yo mumbled. Even if it was in the form of sarcasm, at least this was a sign that Fanboy was still in there.

"Yo, we have to go," The girl heard her adoptive mother say in the doorway.

Fanboy looked as if he were thinking, then walked over to the two adults to ask both of them a question.

"Can Yo come over for a little while?" He asked, more to Oz than Yo's mom.

"You need to rest, Fanboy," Oz said, his voice sounded quite stressed.

"I'm well aware of that, Oz. It won't be for too long. I just need someone to talk to," Fanboy's voice was eerily calm for someone who had just gone through what he had.

The man couldn't say 'no' after all that had happened to his young friend the past couple of days. "Okay…if it's alright with Yo's mother."

The boy looked over at the older woman, waiting for an answer.

"Of course, dear," She said as she picked him up for a hug. "Whatever makes you happy?"

The woman and Lenny left after that.

"Can I join you?" Kyle said without thinking.

"Of course you can."

After a little while, tons of paperwork having been filled out, Oz left as well. The boys and Yo were with him, of course.

No one uttered a word on the drive home. Fanboy stared out the window, as if in a daze. His gaze was transfixed on nothing in particular, and if one were to stare into his eyes they would see a broken soul through the deep gray-blue windows.

It was as if he had fallen back into the silence he was trapped in before they arrived at the hospital, as if he had never spoken a word while they were there.

Even Chum Chum said nothing, his worried brown eyes focused on his friend, as if he were trying to read his thoughts, but failing miserably.

Yo looked on in front of her, for she could not bear to look at her friend in this state. She had no idea why he wanted her to come over, but she would be there for him. She would always be there.

Words remained unspoken when they arrived at Oz's residence. The eerie silence was taking its toll on the youngest of the four friends, and he finally spoke up as Oz was unlocking the front door.

"Fanboy? I'll cook your favorites for dinner tonight if you want." He stated, trying to retain his usually cheerful demeanor.

"Thank you, Chum Chum." Fanboy replied, attempting an obviously fake smile.

When everybody- entered the house they all went to do their own thing. Chum Chum went to the kitchen to start on his friend's favorite meal, to hopefully cheer him up, if only a little bit. Kyle walked upstairs, to do who knows what, maybe to practice his spells.

Everyone else stayed in the door for a moment. Oz looked down at Fanboy, a look in his eyes that can only be found on a parent with a hurt child.

He scooped him up in another hug, but this time the young boy didn't cry, nor did he even hug his guardian back.

Oz knew Fanboy's lack of emotions was a bad sign, and the fact that he was being so cold terrified the man. He was glad, though, that Fanboy was safe and alive. He was, however, dreading the talk he knew would have to come, for Fanboy's sake.

Fanboy said not a word after the hug broke, he just held up a finger to Yo as a signal to wait just a few minutes, and headed upstairs. With each step, a tear rolled down his cheek.

Yo and Oz shared a worried glance. He put a hand on the young girl's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze before he too, walked away.

The girl heaved a sigh as she headed over to the couch, climbed up on it, and turned on the television. It was muted, but she didn't bother to turn the volume up. She just stared at it while absentmindedly munching on a cookie that Chum Chum had given her. When, she didn't remember.

She had gotten her hopes up for Fanboy. He had seemed almost alright in the hospital, but when she managed to steal a glance at him on the car ride home she lost all hope in her heart that he would ever be the same again.

Fanboy stood in the shower, crying once more. He was trying to be strong in front of his friends. He couldn't let them see him cry. He knew he had every reason to cry all he wanted, but he wouldn't.

Being cold was the only way to prevent his tears from falling. It was very hard to be so rude to the very people who cared more about him and his well-being than anyone. Worrying them, though, he just wouldn't do. Little did he know, being so distant worried them more than anything.

Kyle was sitting in the small attic, trying to figure out why he could no longer read his bespectacled friend.

Fanboy was usually so easy to figure out, sure, half the time he had no idea what his friend was saying, but he usually had a pretty good idea of what was going through the other boy's head.

The red-clad wizard had never seen Fanboy so cold. He was usually an over-emotional person, whether it was anger, happiness, or sadness. Now there was nothing in his eyes, and that scared his second best friend.

The program Yo had been 'watching' went off and she stared at the credits as they rolled up the screen, far too fast for anyone to actually read.

If someone were to watch her, sitting there, they would most likely think she hadn't blinked in quite a while. The small girl was, yet again, lost in thought. If someone asked her what she was thinking about, however, she would have no answer for them.

Her thoughts involved Fanboy, of course, as many of her thoughts did as of late. But what was running through her mind was unknown to her.

The quiet girl felt the weight shift next to her, but acted as if nothing had changed. She didn't look over until the presence made himself known by clearing his throat.

Yo looked over to see Kyle. She hadn't noticed earlier that he had large bags under his eyes. She guessed they were from stress, worry, and guilt. They couldn't be from lack of sleep, as Fanboy had only been missing one night.

As long as she had known Kyle, he had cared way more about himself than others. However, she knew that he had a profound affection for his friends. Yo was the same way.

"He seems really…different, doesn't he?" The boy muttered after a moment of silence.

She nodded, tears misting the corners of her eyes. "I...I think he's changed forever…"

It was Kyle's turn to put his hand on her shoulder. "It's only the first night." The voice he managed, if anything, was a feat for Kyle Blood-Worth Thomason. Comforting as it was, it didn't make Yo feel any better.

The two children's worry increased when they looked over to the clock and realized Fanboy had been upstairs for over an hour. The both of them gaped at the clock, their eyes wide. There was absolutely no reason for Fanboy to be in the shower, it was assumed that's where he was, for an hour.

Without a word, Kyle, taking a responsible step, shot up the stairs to check on his slightly younger friend. He banged as hard as he could on the bathroom door.

Merely seconds after his banging started the door opened to reveal Fanboy, looking much unlike his normally organized self.

Fanboy appeared to have barely even dried off before putting his clothes on. The golden-brown hair on his head practically dripped, and his neon green pajamas were wrinkled and disorderly. His eyes almost seemed a little fogged up from being in a steamy room for so long, shielded his bloodshot eyes from the wizard's view.

Fanboy had one hand on the doorknob, while the other hung to his side like dead weight. The bespectacled super fan had always had a bad posture, but he now he was even more slumped over than usual.

"What is it, Kyle?" He asked in a voice so tired and full of despair that one would think its owner had his entire life torn away from him.

"Just making sure you weren't dead." Kyle tried to smile, but it came out as a pathetic half-smile.

"Well I'm not, thank you." Fanboy muttered as he tried to push past his older and taller friend.

Kyle blocked him with ease. "Why on earth are you shutting me out?" He asked abruptly, looking his distraught friend straight in the eyes. "How am I supposed to aid you if you shut me out? I want to help you!" His voice was growing desperate.

Fanboy laughed. It wasn't cheerful, nor was it even real. It was a cold, dead laughter erupting from the darkened depths of his soul.

"You? Help?" His laughter grew louder, the disturbing cackle practically echoing off the walls. "Since when are you interested in anyone but yourself? Why would _you_ want to help _me_?"

Kyle stared at him, his mouth agape and his mind struggling to form words. He finally clenched his jaw. "Because you're my friend and I like you." His face hardened. "I do know how to be caring, you know."

Fanboy's expression fell and sorrow overcame his features. He felt guilty for being mean to Kyle. He sighed and tried, although not very hard, to get by his friend once more.

"Kyle," The emerald eyed boy said, his voice cracking. "I feel empty and broken and talking about it won't help." He tried hiding the tears that rolled down his cheeks again, but failed to shield them from his Kyle's eyes.

Kyle's face softened again as he pulled Fanboy into a hug. Fanboy stiffened and pushed him away.

"I don't need your comfort, Kyle." He swallowed back a sob. "I'm fine. I just need you to leave me alone."

"You were alone in there for an hour." The boy with the red hair gestured toward the bathroom.

At this point something in Fanboy snapped. He pushed his friend away so he could get past him and glared at him. "I. Don't. Need. Your. Help." The child said through gritted teeth.

"Why? Is it because I wouldn't understand?"

Fanboy thought for a moment. "Yes, that's exactly why."

"Fanboy, I'm _not_ stupid. I am capable of mature thoughts. I know what you're doing. You're trying to be strong and shutting us out. You've been through too much not to cry."

Kyle had a characteristically serious air about him. It was strange, though. It was almost as if he were a completely different person than his sarcastic-talking self.

Fanboy sighed and sunk into the floor against the hallway wall. Kyle sat beside him and put his arm around him. At that moment their weak bond couldn't be broken. If only that silent comfort would make everything alright.

* * *

It had been thirty minutes since Kyle had gone upstairs to check on Fanboy, and to Yo, time was passing as slow as it possibly could. It felt, to her, that time was taunting her.

She knew it was a ridiculous thought, but it sure did feel like it.

The girl stared at the half-eaten cookie that had been sitting in her lap for over an hour now. She was so bored and worried, all at once. She thought about going upstairs herself, but quickly changed her mind. Fanboy told her to wait, so she would.

She was relieved when she heard footsteps coming down the stairs. She turned to see Fanboy, dressed in his pajamas, no mask, slowly slinking down the stairs. The way he walked made it seem as if every step he took was carefully calculated, and this made her wonder if her companion was in any pain.

When the boy finally reached the bottom of the stairs the children were called to dinner. The whole meal was incredibly awkward. Every time anyone tried to start a conversation it ended rather abruptly.

Fanboy, despite not having eaten in over 24 hours, barely touched his food. Oz kept trying to convince him to eat even just a little, but Fanboy insisted that he wasn't hungry.

Eventually Oz gave up. He'd have to give him a bit of time and talk to him later.

After supper, Fanboy and Yo made their way back to the living room and sat side by side on the couch. After a few minutes of awkward silence Fanboy finally spoke.

"Thank you," he practically whispered.

"For what…?" She asked, turning to look into his tired green eyes.

"Thank you so much f-for being here for me. You know me better than Oz and Kyle do. I really don't feel like talking, I just wanted you to be here." He looked away, "Sorry for making you wait so long for nothing."

Yo almost smiled. "It wasn't for nothing." She put her hand on his and gave it a squeeze. "I'll always be here for you."

Another hour passed, and the two friends did nothing but talk. They talked about everything that popped into their heads, everything that would keep their minds off of the events of the day.

No matter what they talked about, Yo was glad for one thing: Fanboy was talking. He wasn't secluding himself in a shell like he had been all day. He even smiled a few times. He almost laughed.

It was getting quite later, however, and Yo could see exhaustion making its presence known in her friend. She was sure last night hadn't been too peaceful for him, and he'd looked tired all day.

"Fanboy?" She said after another topic of discussion came to an end. "It's late. I need to go home and you need to get to bed."

If Yo didn't know any better she would have thought she saw fear on Fanboy's face when she said that. He tried to pretend he wasn't scared. "...Can you sing to me before you leave?" He asked quietly.

The girl was baffled at his odd request. It didn't sound like something that would come from Fanboy. "Uh...sure...w-what would you like me to sing?"

Fanboy looked up from where his head lay in her lap. They had somehow ended up like that while talking. "It doesn't matter," He said, looking at her with pleading eyes.

Yo took a breath and sang the first song that popped into her head.

_It's amazing how you can speak right to my heart,_

_Without saying a word you can light up the dark._

The boy almost smiled. Yo was the one that was able to light up his darkness.

_Try as I may I could never explain_

_What I hear when you don't say a thing._

Yo stroked Fanboy's hair lovingly. He smiled, and for the first time that day his eyes lit up.

_The smile on your face lets me know that you need me_,

_There's a truth in your eyes sayin' you'll never leave me.  
_

_The touch of your hand says you'll catch me if ever I fall,  
_

_You say it best when you say nothing at all._

She grabbed his hand and gave it another gentle squeeze.

_All day long I can hear people talking out loud_,

_But when you hold me near, you drown out the crowd._

When the girl looked down again she saw that her companion was drifting off into a deep slumber. She smiled as she continued to sing.

_Old Mr. Webster could never define_

_What's being said between your heart and mine... _

Yo put her hand on Fanboy's heart and felt it beating, and he placed his hand on top of hers, right before falling asleep, and the last peaceful sleep Fanboy would get in a long, long time. Yo wasn't far behind him.

_The smile on your face lets me know that you need me_,

_There's a truth in your eyes sayin' you'll never leave me_.

_The touch of your hand says you'll catch me if ever I fall_.

_You say it best when you say nothing at all_.


End file.
